For purposes of safety and security, alarm or security related electric devices can be positioned throughout a building or structure. The devices can constitute detectors such as smoke detectors, or can be annunciators such as audible fire and security alarms, or can include emergency lights.
The detectors can include motion detectors or other intruder alarms. Additionally, other local area monitoring devices which sense an ambient condition or provide a local alarm can be mounted at locations throughout a building or other structure.
In the case of a building having unfinished walls, such as a warehouse, such devices are typically attached to surface mounted electric wire electrical boxes or junction boxes. These boxes are connected by surface mounted conduits to a central location. The conduits carry signal wires between the central location and the local electrical device, such as the alarm unit or detector.
The alarm units are typically installed by two screws which engage standard screw holes provided on top and bottom sides of the open face of a respective electrical box.
Although such mounting may be adequate to support the alarm unit, it would be desirable to provide a mounting plate which integrates the alarm unit and the respective electrical box into a unitary appearing mounting configuration. It would be desirable to provide a mounting plate which, by its presence on the electrical box, designates the electrical box as being dedicated to a particular safety or security system. It would be desirable to provide a mounting plate which quickly and easily attaches an alarm unit thereto. It would also be desirable to provide a mounting plate which is installable at either a single or double wide (4×4) electrical box without leaving gaps between the mounting plate and the electrical box.